NWHN Statement on Trump Rules Rolling Back Contraceptive Coverage
Trump Administration’s New Birth Control Rules:
Yet Another Attack on the Health and Safety of Millions of Women
Washington, D.C. – Today, the Trump Administration released two rules to dismantle the Affordable Care Act (ACA)’s contraception coverage, effective immediately. Thanks to Obama-era regulations implementing the ACA, 62.4 million women have insurance coverage for their birth control free from out-of-pocket costs, saving them billions of dollars in co-pays and deductibles. But starting today, employers will be able to deny their employees birth control coverage for any reason—or no reason at all.
The National Women’s Health Network is appalled by this decision from hard-right forces within the administration, including Vice President Mike Pence, to put politics before women’s health and medical science. By allowing employers to deny contraceptive coverage to their workers, these rules will have a devastating impact on the millions of women, including Catholic women, who utilize and depend on this benefit for their health, safety, and economic freedom.
The NWHN believes that all women should have the right and privacy to make their own reproductive health care decisions. We fought on the frontlines to protect the birth control mandate when it was under attack by anti-choice politicians in 2012, and again when the Supreme Court considered the issue in 2015 and 2016. Despite having tremendous public support for the ACA’s birth control coverage, the Trump Administration and anti-choice legislators continue their attack on women’s health with yet another invasion of women’s privacy and reproductive-health care.
“These rules are a direct blow to women’s reproductive health, denying safe and affordable contraception to millions of women in order to appease Donald Trump’s far-right base,” said Cindy Pearson, Executive Director. “We fought hard to include these protections under the Affordable Care Act, and we won’t stop now. We will hold this administration accountable for these harmful rules that directly contradicts the public’s overwhelming support for birth control coverage.”
The NWHN will respond to this attack by making women’s voices heard during the open comment period, in calls and outreach to members of Congress who have the power to overturn the rule and codify coverage, and at the courts. For more information about NWHN’s work to protect and expand women’s access to contraception and ensure universal health care access that meets the needs of diverse women, visit our website at https://nwhn.org/raisingwomensvoices/
The National Women’s Health Network is supported by our members and by choice we do not accept financial support from drug companies or medical device manufacturers. We bring the voices, concerns, and needs of women consumers to policy and regulatory tables.
Evita Almassi, MSW, served as the Communications and Digital Marketing Manager for the NWHN. Her 10+ years in nonprofit communications – especially with social media advocacy campaigns – enabled the NWHN to reach and empower more women in their health education and advocacy journeys.